A man who is due to undergo a cornea transplant said he has “come full circle” as he benefits from the same type of organ donation that his late father also gave.
Ben Cronin, 33, from Wrentham, Suffolk, has a progressive eye condition known as keratoconus – where the cornea becomes thinner and bulges into a cone shape.
He said he feels grateful that an organ donor is now doing the same for him and hopes his life will change after the transplant, due to take place on 22 September.
He said: “With surgery, it’s a mixture of emotions, it’s daunting but it’s also exciting but in the back of my mind, there’s the knowledge that a family has lost a loved one.”
Cronin said: “It’s a relief so I can start a new chapter in my life with it.
“Without that amazing person in their family then that wouldn’t be possible.”
Cronin was listed for his transplant at the James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
He is a qualified pharmacy dispenser, but has had to give up paid employment and now volunteers for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation.